The Truth in Lies
by TexasGypsy16
Summary: After a tragic shipwreck orphaning Julien and Alexis on enemy soil, they must hide their identities to blend in. But what happens when the prophesy that put them there begins to come true and starts to pull Alexis into a web of lies and away from her love


Chapter 1

Chapter 1

The sea churned and peaked, making the small skiff bounce about like a toy boat in an unsettled pond. The tempest which encompassed them was unusually strong for winter, and in fact, was the strongest storm that the captain of the small boat, Louis Bosley, had ever seen in his 35 years at sea. He wondered frantically which god he had not paid homage to before he left port. But he could not linger on this thought long, for the throes of the storm required all of his strength and attention to counter.

Louis cursed himself, repeating incessantly that he should have waited until spring to take the Fidele to the mainland, Lunave, prophesy be damned. At the onset of the storm, they were barely 5 nautical miles from the shores of West Lunave, one of the four provinces that made up the whole Lunave. Why, through his looking glass he could see the white spray of the stormy water cresting on the rocky shore, they were that close! But there had been an offshore wind that afternoon, hampering their attempts to reach the shore before the storm hit. Now, as the storm rocked the boat until it threatened to capsize, he cursed himself doubly again. Had it not been for his decision to move the mission up from spring, everyone would be safe in their beds instead of fighting to keep the boat afloat. He was indeed a fool for trusting the mad woman's prophecy! For now everyone would likely perish, and along with it, the only hope for his native country, Forevert's, survival.

He chanced a look at the door leading to the small cabin below deck. He once again thought about the two innocent souls below deck, those of his son, Julien, and his little daughter, Alexis. At the tender ages of 16 and 10, they were undoubtedly the last hopes for the survival of their entire nation. If Louis could only get his son and daughter to safety, then he could die in peace, knowing that his children would have a chance at survival. He explored the possibility of this thought. If he managed to get the boat within a mile or two of the shore, he could count on Julien to see his sister to safety. But where would that plan leave them? Alone, in a foreign country that was waging war against all the people of Forevert? The thought made Louis' gut turn. He continued to think. By chance, were they to make it to a shelter and be found, then they would be murdered on sight. For not only would findings of an enemy ship be linked with the discovery of Julien and Alexis, their own appearances would doom them as well. In contrast to a Lunavian's fair hair, blue eyes, and pale skin, Julien and Alexis both possessed dark, raven-colored hair with green eyes, along with olive skin. If found, they would never have a chance. But what else could Louis do? The thought of his children dying on this old ship brought tears to his eyes. He would not let his children suffer for his mistake. So he resolved himself to make it that close to shore before surrendering them to the mercy of Lunave. He prayed to all of the gods and goddesses of his homeland to lend him this small miracle, not only for the survival of his country, but for the lives of his children.

Within an hour, the boat had taken on an alarming amount of water, and still continued to flood despite the crew's desperate attempt to pump the water out. This alone slowed down the ship to a sluggish pace. But the small skiff was still too far from the shore, and had taken on too much water to make it the allotted two miles. Even with the combined efforts of Captain Bosley and the remaining crew, the Fidele was still three miles of the coast. Time seemed to be their worst enemy now, for not a moment after the captain's prayer was spoken, the storm's fury greatened, causing the seas to roil as if alive. This turn did not frighten the men, however, for they knew that the damage to their boat was fatal, and would sink under the sea in just under a half hour. Louis prayed for his crew's souls. Although they were sailors, most could not swim. Or if they could, they would not be strong enough to swim to shore.

"Martel! To me!" the captain shouted, his voice barely carrying over the ruckus of the sailors trying to keep the boat afloat. The call was answered by the First Mate's approach.

"Yes, Captain," he replied, with a mock bow. Captain Bosley smiled inwardly. Even at the most desperate of times, Martel could keep a crew together and still manage to turn a joke.

Martel was thirty years old, by far the youngest First Mate he had ever had. But early on he had recognized Martel's resourcefulness, loyalty, and intelligence. Within a very short time, he had become indispensable to Louis. If only Martel wouldn't spend so much time getting into trouble with the ladies, Louis thought with a rueful grin. With loose black curls and charming green eyes, he was irresistible to women. Not to mention his well-muscled body honed from climbing the rigging and making his living on the sea. There had been many times he had to be rescued from vengeful husbands or scrapes of that sort, but Martel could take care of himself most times, thanks to his charming sense of humor and clever wit.

"Get my children, Martel. I must see them one last time." Martel nodded and unlatched the door leading to the cabin below. At once, he could hear the hurried steps of his children up the stairs leading out of the cabin. The first one out of the cabin was Julien. Louis Bosley looked upon his son with pride. Even though Julien was already turning into a ladies' man, he still spent most of his time with his family. The captain's eyes welled up. At six feet, his son was already surpassing him in way of height. And though Julien's regal nose and crooked smile was from his father, Captain Bosley would always see their lovely mother, Adrienne, reflected in Julien's features.

And then came his daughter, Alexis. She was going to be a heartbreaker just like her mother, Louis thought. Adrienne had been one of the most beautiful women he had ever seen. Despite her noble lineage and fine upbringing, his first sight of her had been at the Black Tip Tavern, a less than reputable establishment by the port where he had docked. Louis was both flummoxed and fascinated by the sight of this noble woman, her skirt hiked up to her knees, with a pennywhistle at her lips singing boisterous toddy songs that were so unseemly they could make even the hardiest sailor blush. Her raven-black hair had been loose and wild while her eyes held a sparkle that not even the brightest jewel could hope to muster. Louis had instantly fallen in love with her. Although, with the dozens of suitors that lined up at her feet, no doubt having more to offer than he, Louis had given up his foolish fantasies. He could still remember his walk to the door, her eyes falling on him as he spared one last look at the woman who had unknowingly stolen his heart, their eyes locking together in the gaze of soul mates. Within that very same month they decided to marry, despite her father's assurance that not only would she never receive her ample inheritance, but that she and any of their children would never be acknowledged in his eyes.

"Adrienne, my love, I will never be able to give the fine things you deserve. I'm a hardened man of the sea and our life will not be easy. But I can promise you that I will love you until I pass on to the peace lands," Louis had said the day of their wedding.

"Louis, keeper of my heart, your love is the finest gift that I will ever receive. It means more to me than the finest palace in Forevert," Adrienne had replied with that smile that drove him crazy.

In the end, the six years he had with his Adrienne were the happiest in his fifty-one years of life. She had died in childbirth to their second child, Alexis. But although he had lost his wife, the gods had given him two of the greatest gifts, his handsome son and his beautiful daughter Alexis, who was the spitting image of her mother. In fact, he wouldn't put table dancing past his lively, boisterous Alexis.

"Papa?"

"Father!" Alexis cried, shaking Louis from his reverie. He drew both of his children into his embrace. Though he knew that with each passing moment the boat was becoming more and more submerged, he could not seem to let his children go. He looked long at both of his children, knowing that their faces would be his last thoughts before the darkness took him. His heart broke when he thought of the things he would miss, the grandchildren he would never see.

Forcing his voice over the lump in his throat, Louis said, "Julien, Alexis, know that I could never be more proud of you than this moment. I'm going to need you to be brave now. Julien, you are a strong swimmer. I want you to take your sister and swim to shore. I know you can do this, son."

Julien looked at him with tears in his eyes. With obvious effort, he pushed them away and replied, "I will Father. I'll take care of her."

"Papa?" Alexis asked, her bright eyes filling with tears. "I don't want to go! I can help, show me how to help."

"Oh I know you could, darling. But you have adventures waiting for you. I cannot go with you on this one. Just know that wherever you go, you can count that I will be watching you every step of the way. You'll make it. You're plucky and smart just like your mother," Louis told his daughter. "But you must go, now. Stay with your brother. I love you both."

Julien wrapped his arms around Alexis and glanced one last time at his father. And then he jumped into the rolling sea with Alexis in his arms.


End file.
